The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound
chapter-494

…Pop!

A single star twinkled in the sky, then quickly disappeared.

It flickered for such a short moment that most people didn’t notice it.

However, one lone survivor did see it. Whether it was by chance, keen observation, or simply the fact that they had been staring at the night sky with sad eyes, overwhelmed by the harsh reality, is unclear.

Janet, a Major of the 1st Battalion of the 207th Regiment, part of the Human Alliance.

Her lips, scarred by burns and blade marks, trembled slightly.

"Something’s off with the Guide Star tonight."

Next to her, Captain Miryamu, who had been roasting insects and lizards, asked, "Major, what did you say just now?"

"Oh, nothing. It’s just... the Guide Star seems a little..."

"Huh? What about the Guide Star? It looks the same as always."

At this, a few soldiers tilted their heads up toward the night sky.

The seven stars of the Guide Star constellation were shining brightly.

But Major Janet tilted her head in confusion.

"Strange. Just a moment ago, there were eight stars."

"Hahaha, the Guide Star has seven stars, even a seven-year-old knows that. Although, finding a seven-year-old is like finding a needle in a haystack nowadays."

Janet responded to Miryamu’s words with a bitter smile and looked away from the sky.

It was the Era of Destruction.

The rivers of blood had dried up, and the war between the human and demon realms that had raged for decades seemed to be coming to an end.

But on the day when the survivors of humanity were celebrating their victory and carving their glory into stone, the true end began.

Terrifying disasters appeared, making the previous ones seem like a child’s tantrum.

A total of 62 demons, each far surpassing the Ten Corpses in power and wickedness, emerged.

They turned the human world, already devastated by years of hellish firestorms and a 150-day-long flood, back into a living hell.

"…Life was simpler when I was just a soldier."

As Janet reminisced about the past, Captain Saladin came running up in a panic.

"Major! An airstrike! The monsters are coming!"

In the distance, the shouting of commanders echoed loudly.

Lieutenant Kirke, Lieutenant Hayal, Captain Kubelin, and many other battle-hardened veterans were gathering the last survivors of the Human Alliance for the final stand.

"Major, hurry!"

"If we lose this defense line, it’s over! Behind us are the last of humanity… the children…"

Both Captain Saladin and Sergeant Miryamu urged her on.

"Alright, I know. Everyone, to your positions!"

Major Janet quickly donned her helmet, grabbing her sword and shield.

Sergeant Miryamu stood behind her, spear in hand.

With a trembling voice, Miryamu spoke, "This is really going to be my last battle, isn’t it?"

"…It’s probably the last one for all of us."

The two soldiers chatted as they gazed at the horde of monsters turning the horizon a deep crimson.

It was almost like sisters talking before bedtime.

Suddenly, Sergeant Miryamu asked, "Major, how do you always stay so calm?"

"Hmm?"

"You never panic. You’re always so composed, as if you’ve received some kind of divine blessing."

Blessings were now nothing more than tales from forgotten dreams, as most priests had vanished.

But Major Janet simply smiled.

"A blessing, huh? I suppose you could call it that. You need something to believe in to survive in this cruel world, don’t you?"

"Wait, you actually have something you believe in? What is it!?"

Miryamu, who had grown quite close to Janet in their final days, eagerly pushed for an answer.

With a small laugh, Janet focused on the approaching horde and spoke.

"A letter."

"…A letter?"

"Yes, a letter from an old superior of mine."

Major Janet...

She had endured all this time with a letter she kept close to her heart, using it as a talisman.

It was a memory from long ago, from when she first joined the military out of desperation, where she had met a young, lower-ranked officer.

"His name was Baskerville, I think?"

"Baskerville? You mean the mad dogs stationed at the far front?"

"Yes, but unlike the other Baskervilles, he was a remarkable person. A skilled and trustworthy hunter. Although, he was falsely accused and executed midway through the war..."

Major Janet’s face clouded as she recalled the hazy memory of someone she could barely remember now.

Sergeant Miryamu, facing the incoming wave of monsters, spoke up, "He must have been a romantic to leave you a letter like that."

"No, he wasn’t the type to write letters... Now that I think about it, it’s quite strange."

"What do you mean?"

"The letter. It arrived long after he had died."

"Maybe the mailman was just slow or something?"

"Hmm. But it took far too long for that. The letter didn’t arrive until long after his execution."

Their conversation didn’t continue further.

…BOOM!

A giant demon had appeared at the front lines.

It was completely different from the other monsters around it, exuding a much more intense aura.

With two arms, two legs, four wings, and a long tail.

Curved horns, eyes burning like the sun, and a body packed with dense muscles.

Major Janet couldn’t help but swallow hard.

"…A Demonic Dragon."

A cursed hybrid born between dragons and demons.

The eternal diaspora.

A vile, evil creature that took out its frustration on all living beings, unable to find acceptance from either dragons or demons.

[RAAAAAAH!]

With a roar like that of a demon, it charged toward the human stronghold.

Even the last remnants of humanity were gripped with tension, knowing the overwhelming power of this being, capable of tearing apart thousands of humans on its own.

"Dammit. Why’s this thing, usually hiding in the depths of the Abyss, showing up here? Did it crawl out because it’s the final battle?"

Major Janet gritted her teeth.

There was no retreat. Humanity was already backed into a corner.

If they were pushed back even a step, it would truly be the end.

"Hold the line! If we fall here, the refugees behind us will be slaughtered!"

Major Janet unleashed her aura, preparing to face the Demonic Dragon.

Against such an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, they had only one chance.

A single, all-out strike that disregarded her own life!

She swung her sword with all her might, aiming for the opening after the Demonic Dragon’s punch.

But...

Clang!

That one chance disappeared in vain.

The moment her sword touched the scales of the Demonic Dragon, it snapped in half.

"…"

Despair cast a shadow over Major Janet’s face.

She lifted her head and saw the Demonic Dragon grinning, its mouth twisted into a sinister smile.

Then, its massive fist came crashing down like a meteor.

If it hit, it would be instant death, or at the very least, the land behind her would be obliterated for dozens of meters.

And once again, many would die.

‘...Is this the end?’

Just as Major Janet was about to resign herself to her fate—

"Major!"

A hand pulled her back by the waist.

It was Sergeant Miryamu. She had risked her life to shove Major Janet out of harm's way, throwing her to the side.

BOOM!

Major Janet was flung to the ground nearby.

She quickly scrambled to her feet, screaming in panic.

"Mi-Miryamu?!"

But there was no response from the thick dust cloud surrounding her.

It was to be expected.

"Oh no... no..."

Tears began streaming from Major Janet’s eyes.

She hadn’t realized her eyes, once thought to be completely dry and hardened, still contained so much moisture. It shocked even her.

Miryamu... The soldier who had always looked up to her ever since their days as privates.

Together, they had survived countless battles. Promotions came fast, as senior soldiers kept dying, yet she had only made it to sergeant in all that time.

Miryamu had always been a coward, often running from battle, which is why her promotion was so slow.

"That coward... and she saved me."

Major Janet gritted her teeth.

She had to avenge her subordinate.

She bit her torn lips again, drawing blood.

She summoned every last drop of her depleted mana.

Gripping the broken sword tightly once more.

"Even if I die here, I’ll take you with me."

Major Janet focused every ounce of her remaining strength, glaring straight ahead.

As the dust began to settle, a massive shadow emerged.

The Demonic Dragon was just standing there, watching her.

For some reason, it didn’t move to defend itself. It just stood still.

‘This is it!’

Major Janet realized this could be her last chance—a miracle.

Before her mind could fully grasp the situation, her body moved instinctively.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!"

She poured mana into her broken blade, charging with all her might.

Her target was the heart. One decisive strike!

As she leaped towards the Demonic Dragon, the dust continued to clear, revealing the creature’s still figure.

It didn’t move, as if mocking her efforts, like it was showing pity to a lowly insect.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall!"

Finally, Major Janet drove the broken blade toward the Demonic Dragon's heart with all her strength.

But at that moment, she felt it.

Failure—again.

…*Snap! Crack!*

Her broken sword shattered once more.

It had too many cracks from the beginning to withstand the pressure.

A large wound appeared on the Demonic Dragon’s chest, but it was nowhere near enough to damage the heart.

"…Ah."

Major Janet knew—this was truly the end.

She had no mana left, no strength.

Even if the Demonic Dragon grabbed her head right now and crushed it, she wouldn’t be able to resist or protest.

‘I’m sorry.’

She couldn’t avenge Sergeant Miryamu.

Nor the comrades who had died such brutal deaths.

Major Janet closed her eyes tightly.

She waited for the end to come, hoping that at least it would be swift and painless.

...However.

No matter how long she waited, the death she had expected never came.

'What’s going on? Could it be... is it already over?'

Was death supposed to arrive so quietly, without a hint of sensation? Had she died instantly, with no time to even feel the pain or shock?

"…?"

Major Janet, puzzled, cracked her eyes open ever so slightly.

What she saw before her was astonishing.

"…!"

The dust had fully cleared, and in front of her, the Demonic Dragon still stood tall.

Its chest was puffed out, as if to boast of its mighty, impenetrable body that even her sword couldn't pierce.

But there was one striking detail—its head was gone.

Pssh! Pshhhk!

Dark red blood spurted from the severed stump where its neck once was.

The Demonic Dragon had been decapitated and was now being held by someone.

And at that someone’s feet sat Sergeant Miryamu, gazing up in a daze.

Major Janet couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.

One second passed. Then two. Then three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. And then, eight.

Only after her mind had traced the seconds like counting a constellation of stars did she finally muster the courage to look at the face of the person who had killed the Demonic Dragon and saved Sergeant Miryamu.

That person... that man...

"We're all still alive, I see."

A voice, calm and casual, as if he had just returned from a distant stroll—or perhaps, a leisurely expedition.

He looked around the battlefield, surveying the carnage like one might casually inspect their barracks after a long vacation.

"Private Kirke, Private Hayal, Seargent Kuberin, Corporal Janet, Private Saladin, and Private Miryamu... all alive. The 1st Platoon of the 4th Company, 207th Regiment, still stands."

The man was someone Major Janet recognized, yet at the same time, he seemed entirely unfamiliar.

It was a paradoxical feeling—his face was unmistakable, yet different from her memories.

The burn scars and sword marks that had once marred his face were gone, and he looked several decades younger.

However—

"You've done well. I'm proud of you."

The aura he exuded was still just as overwhelming, if not more so than before. He seemed even more dependable and formidable now.

At that moment, Major Janet could only stare, torn between disbelief and recognition.

“This… this person. They fell from the sky. They came from the Guiding Star.”

Sergeant Miryamu, lying on the ground, pointed at 'him,' the ‘one who came from the stars,’ with a bewildered expression.

‘He’ smiled faintly.

“Is that so? Private Miryamu. Back then, you were such a rookie that you probably don’t even remember my face.”

“W-What? Rookie? Me? I’m a sergeant now…”

Miryamu, still confused, wore a blank expression.

But Major Janet’s reaction was entirely different.

With tears welling up in her eyes, she shouted with joy.

“Commader Vikir! You’re alive!”

“…You recognize me?”

“Of course! I knew you were still alive! Where have you been all this time? And why do you look so different…?”

“You knew I was alive? Didn’t you see my head get cut off?”

“What? Ah, well, I did see that… but didn’t you send a letter afterward?”

Major Janet, puzzled, reached into her coat and pulled out a keepsake.

It was an old, yellowed parchment with writing that had long faded.

— “I miss you, my comrade. Are you resting peacefully where you are?”

Upon seeing the letter, ‘he’ stared blankly for a moment, then muttered to himself.

“…So that letter was real after all. I don’t even know what’s real anymore.”

[Tl/N: The letter he sent from the Abyss Tree.]

At that moment, a few soldiers from the Human Alliance, having witnessed the fall of the demonic Dragon, rushed over to them.

They looked back and forth between Major Janet and ‘him,’ and with awe in their voices, they cried out.

“Platoon Commander? Is that you?”

“You’re alive?”

“Where have you been? Everyone’s been waiting for you!”

“We knew you were alive! Everyone on the front lines kept saying you couldn’t have died…”

But the joy of reunion was short-lived. No, it had to be short-lived.

Boom! Crash!

A massive leg crushed the fallen demonic Dragon’s body as if it were tofu.

A monstrous demonic beast with massive hooves and a long, flowing mane appeared, trampling over the corpse of the demonic Dragon.

[Hahaha— I am Orobos, the Mounted Prince of Infernal Hell! The 55th-ranked Demon lord! Who dares continue such futile resistance!?]

The soldiers’ faces were instantly filled with despair upon the appearance of the massive demon.

“It’s over! The 55th rank has appeared!”

“Why is something like that here?!”

“It’s hopeless. A demon lord-class creature has descended; everything’s over…”

But the humans had no time to fully give in to despair.

Flash! Boom! Boom!

Five pillars of light descended from the sky.

A burning spear, a fierce arrow, a divine beam of light, a golden fist, and a sharp slash erupted with devastating power as they struck the ground.

[Arghhhhhh—]

The demon that had just appeared was torn to pieces and scattered in an instant.

“Ugh, my back. I’m getting motion sickness. Blegh—”

“What a grand debut.”

“So this is our first appearance in another world.”

“The ticking of the clock was driving me mad.”

“Turns out, there’s not much to the day after the apocalypse.”

From the pit created by the demon’s destruction, five women stepped out.

Just moments ago, all the demons and humans had been fighting viciously on the battlefield, but now they all stopped.

With their mouths agape, everyone turned to look in the direction of the five women.

And then—

Rumble!

A storm of black aura swirled violently, sweeping across dozens of meters of ground.

In the middle of the battlefield, a giant figure of a hound with nine fangs made its presence known.

…

Both demons and humans alike stood frozen in place, swallowing hard.

And then—

In front of all those eyes, ‘he’ spoke.

“All demons will die.”